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The List of Suspicious Things

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The List of Suspicious Things

By: Jennie Godfrey
Narrated by: Joanne Froggatt, Mark Noble, Asif Khan, Gemma Whelan, Simon Harvey
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

A BEST DEBUT OF 2024 BY BB

The instant Sunday Times bestseller

Yorkshire, 1979

Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.

Because of the murders.

Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn't an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv's mum stopped talking.
Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things down their street. People they know. People they don't.

But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighbourhood, within their families - and between each other - than they ever thought possible.

What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?

THE PERFECT DEBUT NOVEL TO DISCUSS IN BOOK CLUBS


'To read it is to feel that little bit better about life'
ELIZABETH DAY

'A beautiful mystery with heart'
ROB RINDER

'This is a heart-warming book'
EMMA HEALEY

'A gorgeous, page-turning book'
I PAPER

©2024 Jennie Godfrey (P)2024 Penguin Audio

 Amateur Sleuths Animals Best of 2024 Coming of Age Fiction Friendship Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Women's Voices Detective Exciting Heartfelt Tear-jerking England

Critic reviews

A touching paean to lost innocence and the comfort of friendships, its dark undertow leavened by stout Yorkshire humour
I absolutely adore it! (Marian Keyes)
Godfrey succeeds brilliantly in fitting a gripping and moving story in the interstices of a horrific episode in recent history, without ever trivialising, taking focus from, or minimising the lasting impact of the original crimes.
There's been buzz around this novel - for good reason. Endearing characters and nostalgic details make this a must-read
One of the buzziest debuts of 2024, and deservedly so….prepare to have all the feelings
Fabulous. I loved Miv’s spirit
I can't believe this is a debut. Heavy themes handled with such tenderness and care, a moving, memorable tale of community, connection and curiosity. I loved it (Emma Gannon)
A heartwarming tale about the power of human connection, written with empathy, warmth and care. To read it is to feel that little bit better about life (Elizabeth Day)
[THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS] was such a joyous read . . . the story spoke to me on so many levels. The characters are adorable and we all need an Aunty Jean in our lives . . . a beautiful story of friendship, community and family. Heartwarming (Zoe Ball)
Funny, poignant and drawn with real compassion. This is a heart-warming book (Emma Healey, author of ELIZABETH IS MISSING)
All stars
Most relevant
Being a Yorkshire Lass this brought back a few memories. A good story and good narrating..

10 out of 10

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Engaging narrative and storytelling, but some things jarred for me. I understand that the story uses a child's perspective, but I felt that the writing was too simplistic at times. There was also too much crow-barring in of things related to the era, especially songs and a repetition of some similes/imagery. I would have preferred a bit less (barely credible) drama and a bit more sophistication in the writing. However, clearly a talented writer with a lot of potential. The audio track was annoying as parts of some sentences were repeated (a glitch I take it) - this happened several times throughout the novel.

Engaging but some glitches

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I found it frustrating at times as I struggled to understand the motivation behind this story. However I persisted and became invested in finding out about the characters.

An interesting choice of subject

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Interesting wonderful story filled with the twists and turns of community life told from the eyes of a young girl

Fantastic story wonderfully read

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Very touching and kept me listening all day and night ! The characters are so real, and it took me back to a time when I too was exactly the same age as the main character and it took me back

Excellent narration, warmly written,

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